VIDEO: Firefighters are stressing the importance of working smoke detectors after a fire at an apartment complex near Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. It happened just before 3 this morning at 235 Kirkwood Court SW. Firefighters found thick black smoke coming from the second story of the apartments. The two people inside the complex made it out safely. Firefighters are using this incident to remind people the importance of having working alarms. They say the people at this home actually removed their smoke alarms. The people inside woke up to an apartment full of smoke. Firefighters say people will sometimes remove smoke alarms because they’re annoyed with the sound when it goes off. They say smoke alarms are the first warning to get people to safety during a fire. People can’t rely on smelling smoke.